Complete
by starry-oblivion
Summary: During a camping trip, Donatello and April begin to discover that their friendship might just result in something more... if not for the obstacle presented by Casey.
1. Chapter 1

"Donatello, I can't run anymore!"

Donatello let go of April's wrist and looked back at her. She had been running behind him and looked absolutely exhausted. "April, we can't stop now!" She was already slowing, breathing hard. "Just a minute? Please?" Frustrated, Donatello stopped and turned to her, getting a surprised cry from her as he lifted the redhead up over his shoulder. "Huh? H-hey!" Ignoring her, the turtle turned to run, already seeing their pursuers catching up. "No time!" Donatello told her. "This is a matter of life and death!"

Speeding away from their chasers, Donatello made sure he had a firm grip of April's waist before leaping to a low-hanging tree bough. She gasped sharply and gripped the turtle by the shell. "D- Don! Be careful!" Jumping from tree to tree as quickly as he could, Donatello replied, "Careful? Careful's my middle name."

No sooner had the words left his mouth that his feet managed to land on a tree limb that wasn't quite as sturdy as the others. A loud _crack!_ echoed through the woods and Donatello's hand unsuccessfully flailed to grab onto something. Realizing that they were definitely going to fall, Donatello shifted his grasp on April so that he could land on his shell without hurting her. A cry from her and a solid "Oof," from him sounded as they hit ground, dazed but unhurt.

"Thanks for the trip, Mr. Careful," April sarcastically remarked, looking down at the turtle she was now lying atop of. As she crawled off of him, Donatello sat halfway up and rubbed his head speculatively. "Sorry about that," he told her. "I guess I forgot to take into account the added weight from having you over my shoulder." Glaring at him, she exclaimed, "Are you calling me _fat_!" Surprised, Donatello put a hand up defensively and scooted away from her. "No! No, that's not what I meant at all!"

He was about to continue when he simultaneously noticed two things. One, April was about to crack a smile, showing she had only been joking. Secondly, a shadow fell over the two of them. Looking up, both of their eyes widened. Standing triumphantly before them with arms crossed over their chests, their pursuers stared down at them, smirks upon their faces. "This can't be good," Donatello commented.

"You bet," responded the dark-haired one. "Especially not since Little Miss Ninja there almost dislocated my hip when she tackled me." Scooting away from them and closer to Donatello, April murmured, "What, you can't take a joke?"

"A joke's a joke," growled the shorter one. "But when you're tryin' to drown a guy who's mindin' his own business, you can expect repercussions." This comment was directed towards Donatello, who shrugged in response. "What can I say," he replied sarcastically. "You were just a perfect target."

"Guys."

The four turned to look at the warning voice. Leonardo was standing a few yards away, watching the conflict, his katanas in hand. "Play nice," he told them. "Or I'll have to separate you. With _these_." Donatello couldn't help but grin as he stood, offering April a hand. "You heard him, boys. You don't want a time-out."

Irritated, Raphael stepped towards Donatello, fist drawn back. "You smart little-" Besides him, Casey Jones held him back. "Yo Raph, calm it. Leo's right." Pulling away from Casey as April made her way to her feet, Raphael seethed, "Yeah, yeah, I know Leo's right. Leo's _always_ right. Let's see someone surprise attack _him_ and toss _him_ in a lake, and we'll see what he does."

"You're a _turtle_," April mused. "It's not like you don't know how to swim." At that, Casey responded, "Yeah, but _I_ ain't a turtle. I'm practically limpin' because 'a you." Rubbing his hip absently, Casey suddenly grinned, "Maybe if you kiss it, it'll make it better." Donatello groaned at the comment, and April rolled her eyes. "It would only tempt me to hit you where it _really_ hurts," she told him. Seeming to consider this, Casey responded, "But would you kiss _that_ one to make it better, too?"

"Ew," April nearly shrieked. "That was bad, even for _you_." Turning away from Casey and the turtles, she heard Raphael begin to gripe again and throw vague threats at Donatello. "We were just fooling around, Raph," Donatello explained. "You'd be laughing your shell off if it had been Mikey in your place."

"Where _is_ Mikey?" Raphael asked. "Usually you're the mature one when he's around. You act funny when you're with _her_." April glared at Raphael over her shoulder. Noting her response, Casey crooned, "Aw, looks like someone's getting defensive." Stepping towards her, he teased, "Maybe some wittle girl's got a wittle cwush on her turtle fwiend." He was stopped in his tracks by a short but sharp smack in the chest by Donatello's bo-staff. "Ow!"

"Not funny," Donatello stated coolly. Casey looked at him oddly, and Donatello felt nervous when he thought he felt everyone's eyes suddenly turn to him, mulling over his reaction. Maintaining his composure, Donatello added, "Why don't you and Raph go and release some of your energy and look for Mikey? It's getting dark soon, and we don't want him wandering around and getting himself in trouble." Raphael questioned, "What? In the middle of nowhere?" Leonardo stepped in and said, "Donatello's right. Like we've learned in the past, we can never be too careful. It'd probably be best to regroup before nightfall, this being our first time out here."

"Ease up, Leo," Casey said, rubbing his chest. "I thought April and I brought you guys on this campin' trip to relax. Mikey's a big boy; he can take care of himself." Donatello's eyes darted to look back at April, and he saw that she had wrapped her arms around herself at the mention of her name, her back still to the group. "Maybe," Leonardo answered, "but I'll be more relaxed once we get the group back together." In his usual cynical manner, Raphael added, "Yeah, and _I'll_ be more relaxed once I kick someone in the head for this bum's attack on my dignity. And since Mikey ain't got nuthin' in his head that I could damage…."

"Raphael," Leonardo spoke warningly. With a grin, Casey tossed his arm around Raphael's shoulders. "Hey, no worries, Leo. I'll be there to make sure he doesn't hurt him _too_ badly." Tiredly, Leonardo responded, "_That's_ what I'm afraid of." With a deep sigh, Leonardo sheathed his katanas and told them, "Just go and find him. And I don't want to see any bruises on him when you get back." Rubbing his hands together in sadistic anticipation, Raphael commented, "Great. So hit him where you can't see, huh?" Being led away by Casey, Raphael turned his attention back to Donatello. "Don't think I'm gonna forget this, geek."

Waving his fingers goodbye as Casey and Raphael ambled off, Donatello called, "Toodles!" He laughed, but stopped when he saw that Leonardo was looking at him sternly. "What was all that about?" Looking away innocently Donatello replied, "Just, y'know… having fun." Crossing his arms over his chest, Leonardo told him, "Donny, your idea of fun is turning a vacuum cleaner into a hovercraft. I'd expect this kind of stuff from Mikey, not you."

A moment of silence passed before April said, "It's my fault, Leo." Leonardo looked at the girl who still hadn't turned to face him. "Casey was being even more of a jerk than usual, and Raphael wasn't helping. I was talking to Don about it, and we decided to mess with them. I forgot how badly Raph's temper can flare up." Leonardo didn't respond right away, making April wonder what was going through his mind. She knew that, though Donatello was the most intelligent, Leonardo was definitely the sharpest of the turtles, his observance rivaled only by Splinter himself. Could he see something there that the others didn't? Could he see something there that _she_ didn't?

"I understand," he finally said. "Just remember, Raphael's still on edge from our final battle with Karai. We _all_ are. _You and Casey_ were kind enough to bring us camping to help calm us down, but Raphael won't calm after only a few hours." April nearly flinched at the way he emphasized "you and Casey." He paused for a moment once again, and she wondered if he managed to catch even that second of tension she exhibited. At length, Leonardo said, "I'll be back at the campsite with Master Splinter. Stay within earshot, okay?"

"Sure," Donatello said quietly. April nodded slowly, still not turning. Her eyes focused on a mossy log some yards ahead of her, and she wondered how much of an obvious dolt she was being by not even turning to face Leo. Perhaps it had been a bad idea to plan this trip in the first place.

After some time, April felt someone's presence besides her and turned to see Donatello looking up at her. "You okay?" Looking behind her, she saw that Leonardo was gone and nodded. "Are you sure?" Donatello persisted. "I mean, the fall… I want to make sure-" Looking back at him, she offered a small smile as she cut in. "I'm fine Don. Really. I just feel like a total moron, though. Raphael's going to plot some horrible revenge. We shouldn't have brought him into this."

"Hey," Donatello told her with a smirk, "it's not like he didn't deserve it, letting Casey talk to you like that without doing anything." Shrugging her shoulders, April wondered, "Maybe I just made a bigger deal out of it than I should have." A brief pause came over them before Donatello quietly posed, "Maybe… maybe you just… had some aggression of your own to work out. And that was the only way you could do it."

Uncrossing her arms, April walked over to the log she had been looking at. "Jeez, Don," she moaned jokingly. "You think I don't know that? Just because you're the logical one doesn't mean you have to be so… so… _logical_." Donatello laughed as he joined her as she sat down on the fallen tree limb. "Sure I do. That's my job."

They sat there, side by side, silent as each wondered what the other was thinking. In the back of their minds, they were both turning over the conversation they had had earlier that morning, at a rest stop to the camping site in upstate New York. April hadn't expected to cry. Donatello hadn't expected to hurt. This was just supposed to be another outing between the seven of them. It had happened often enough, and there was no reason to believe that this time would be any different.

Except that April knew better. When Casey had asked that dreadful question the week before, April's first inclination was to get Donatello alone and talk to him. This entire trip had been devised just so she could have that conversation that she had crudely started in the back of the van while waiting for the others to finish stretching their legs. What happened to her carefully-devised speech, her preparation, her levelness? Why had she broken down and cried?

Donatello should have known better. He knew how close April and Casey had gotten, and he knew that he should be happy for them. But it was so hard… remembering the times he spent with her and how peaceful she always managed to make him feel, how could he be happy? But then, if he were a good friend, that should have been his first instinct. Therein laid the problem. He _was_ a good friend. And that was all he was. He had always known that, on some level, and allowed himself to accept it when April blurted out the details about Casey's proposal. But then… when she cried… when he saw… what? What was it that he saw, and why did it make him feel so miserable when another part of him told him it should have had the opposite effect?

The sky was slightly tinged with lavender as the sun began making its way to the west. Donatello looked up to the sky, experiencing a rare moment in which he took comfort from something that wasn't involved with a machine. He could begin to see a few stars, and remembered how looking up at a starlit sky always made him feel so small, so insignificant. Never mind that he's helped to save the world—heck, the entire _dimension_—on a number of occasions. Never mind that he was clever enough to have probably discovered a cure for cancer by now, had he the proper equipment and technology. No, things like that don't matter when you're a mutant. You still have to hide. No matter how many friends you may be lucky enough to have, you are still alone.

Disappointed that his comfort changed to something akin to desolation so quickly, Donatello put his hands to either side of him with the intent of leaning back. Instead, his right hand fell over April's left, and he couldn't help but look down at it. April was also taken by surprise. She had been lost in her own thoughts, and the sudden contact made her tense up, wondering what sort of words (or worse yet, emotions) would go with the touch.

Looking down, Donatello found himself looking at her ring finger. He tried to imagine what it would look like occupied by a modest ring from Casey. April hadn't given Casey an answer, had in fact claimed that the trip was an effort to help her think it over carefully, but still, Donatello was prepared to deal with the worst, despite their previous conversation.

"I won't wear the ring."

Those quiet words hit him like a punch to the stomach. Looking up at her, he asked, "What?" April looked away from him, not wanting to meet his eyes. "The engagement ring. When he gives it to me, I won't wear it. Not until… after…." Feeling his heart work its way up his throat, Donatello whispered, "So you're saying yes?" After a pause, she turned and looked him blankly in the eye. "What else can I say?" April choked.

Jaw slack, Donatello could do little more than gape at her for a while. He was going numb inside, and maybe that was for the best. Maybe the real reasoning behind his fascination for machines was that they never let emotion interfere with their functions. Maybe he should just dry up, become a machine. That was certainly what it seemed like he was doing. "You could say what you told me," he said vacantly. April's eyes widened at the suggestion. "Oh no! I can't do that, Don!" Suddenly feeling drained and weary, Donatello looked down. "No," he uttered. "I suppose you can't."

As he turned away, April felt crushed. What had she done? What had she said? Why did she ever bother to have that conversation with Donatello if she had been planning to marry someone else anyway? What had she hoped for? Did she believe that Donatello would try to persuade her otherwise? Of course he wouldn't; he would merely accept it as a fact of life. There was no real reason to believe otherwise.

She panicked for a moment, trying to figure out a way to ease the current strain in their conversation. After a while, Donatello broke the silence. "Do you love him?" April looked at him. He was staring down at the grass, oddly unemotional. "I do," she responded quietly. Donatello seemed to take this in, then slowly raised his head to look at her. "Then what's the problem," he asked with a sad smile. "He loves you, you love him. He's asked to marry you. Do what humans do when they love someone."

April could do little else but stare him in the eyes. As always, he spoke kindly and reasonably, but his eyes broke her heart. It was clear that, whatever had been left unsaid in the van on his part, Donatello was determined to leave it unsaid. Though April could guess that he felt the same way she did, she realized now that Donatello had never outwardly said it. And it suddenly dawned on her: he was sparing her. He was trying to make this easier for her by not actively encouraging anything. He didn't want her to hurt. As that thought became clear to her, April realized that he was right; she needed to do what humans do when they love someone.

Edging closer to him, she whispered, "All right." Surprise came over Donatello's face when he felt her warm hand reach up and rest on his cheek. Though his logic told him to pull away, he obeyed his visceral reaction and stayed in place as she leaned towards him. Her soft lips touched his, and Donatello felt his anxiety melt away as he closed his eyes and relaxed. Slowly, he allowed himself to kiss her back, realizing that he had been waiting for something like this his entire life.

April felt one of his strong arms move uncertainly around her waist, and she dimly grasped that this must have been his first kiss. A part of her wondered what she was doing, what would she do if Leonardo or even Casey came back and found them like this? She then became conscious of the fact that she almost _wanted_ one of them to find them, almost _wanted_ her actions to speak for her, since she most certainly didn't want to do it herself. She loved Casey,… but she loved Donatello, too. Her ambivalence disgusted her, and she knew that someone was going to hurt no matter what she chose to do from now on, but she needed to do this. Donatello was kind, intelligent, sacrificing… he deserved affection from someone, no matter how ill-fated it might be.

At length, they parted. April rested her head on Donatello's shoulder, her hand falling over his opposite shoulder in a loose embrace. Donatello wrapped his free arm around her, gently pulling her closer to him. Somehow, though he knew that there was going to be much pain involved in whatever happened next, he felt… complete. For the first time in his life, he knew what it felt like to be involved in something that was his own, and not just something he was doing for the good of others. Though Casey was his friend, Donatello felt good to finally be doing something selfish.

"Wicked."

Donatello lowered his eyes and looked at April's face. "Hm?" April had closed her eyes, and slowly opened them, not looking at Donatello. "It's like in the musical about the background of the Wicked Witch of the West," she explained quietly, "when the girl sleeps with her friend's fiancé, she tells him after their little duet, 'For the first time, I feel… wicked.'"

He remembered the song she was referring to. When April lived in the lair with them for a while, her collection of Broadway musicals played almost every day. "'And though there's no future for us as a pair,'" he said lowly, "'I know that I don't care.' …or something to that effect, right?" April laughed and looked up at him. Her green eyes seemed deeper in the coming sunset, and Donatello's small smile widened a bit. He loved her. And if he didn't, he had never come closer to love. "Close enough," she replied, smiling at his peaceful face.

Suddenly, from somewhere some distance away in the trees, came Michelangelo's loud, resentful voice. "Yeow! What'd you go 'n do _that_ for!" Surprised, Donatello and April looked up towards the sound, and Donatello couldn't help but laugh. "Looks like Raph and Casey found Mikey." April's smile wavered a bit as she looked down. "Yes. They'll be heading back soon." A brief paused elapsed before Donatello commented, "We should probably head back, too." April made a sound of agreement.

Neither of them moved for a moment. Then Donatello gradually removed his arms from April's waist. She was surprised to see that she shivered at the absence of his touch, immediately cold. Straightening up, she felt he hand fall over hers once again and grasp it. "So let's go," he said softly. As April looked at him, she was surprised that he had quickly closed the distance between them and kissed her again. The quick peck was over even as she realized that it had happened.

Laughing quietly, they stood up and walked back to the campsite, hand-in-hand.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey dudes, ya missed me?" 

Leonardo and Splinter looked up from the campfire Leonardo was starting. Michelangelo strolled towards the campsite rubbing the back of his neck, Raphael and Casey Jones in tow. With a quick shove, Raphael muttered, "'Miss' is hardly the word." Leonardo sighed and turned back to the fire. "Raphael, what'd I tell you about harassing Mikey?"

"And what I told you about acting like a mom?" Raphael cracked, sitting by the beginnings of the bonfire. "Lookit you, tellin' us to behave while you're slavin' over a hot fire. All you need's a casserole." Michelangelo and Casey laughed as Leonardo gave his brother a wry look. Seeing two figures emerge from a mess of trees, Casey called, "Yo April, you happen to bring an apron with you? It'd provide the finishing touch!"

Hearing Casey call her name, April dropped Donatello's hand, pretending he had only offered it to her to help her avoid the brambles. Smiling unsurely, she asked, "Apron?" She and Donatello moved towards them as Leonardo remarked, "Pay the peanut gallery no mind."

"Speaking of peanuts," Michelangelo began, "when's dinner? I'm starving with a capital star." From the nook of his cradled arm came a soft mewl. Grinning, he added, "And Klunk could use some grub, too." As Michelangelo began to be questioned on the large bag of trail mix he had taken with him on his excursion, April and Donatello got closer to the others.

They stopped for a moment, standing side-by-side and looking into the fire, both feeling awkward. April suddenly turned on her heels and moved to sit besides Splinter. At the same time, Donatello dropped to his knees and began helping Leonardo with the fire. He noticed Leonardo looking at him oddly at his jerky motion, and April spotted the same sort of look from Splinter. Trying to get rid of the anxiety that was almost choking her, April asked, "Are you cold, Splinter? I can go grab you a blanket from the tent."

Splinter shook his head. "That will not be necessary. The fire will provide all of the heat I shall need. You, however, are hardly covered, and so I would suggest you use the blanket for yourself." Casey walked over to the pair. "What you talkin' about Splinter? It can't be less than 65 degrees out here. You wanna block the view?" Annoyed by Casey's last statement, Donatello cleared his throat. Standing, he said, "I'll get a blanket for you, April." Not waiting for a response from her, Donatello walked off in the direction of the tent.

Looking back at the turtle at the sound of the interruption, Casey called, "Yo, Don! Wait up!" Donatello stopped and looked back at him, a small chill taking over. "Yeah?" Casey jogged towards him and threw an arm around his shoulders. "I'll come with you. I wanna talk to ya." Donatello's face exhibited only a small degree of the sudden fear he felt. "About what?" Leading him to the tent, Casey winked at him, saying, "Guy stuff."

April watched the two of them go, her heart sinking. Did Casey know? What was he going to do? "Please do hurry with the blanket, Donatello," Splinter suddenly called. "April is shivering." Looking down at the sensei, April realized that she was shaking slightly, her arms crossed over her chest. His eyes met hers as he added, "The chills of early spring are no time for a young woman to sit out in the dark without some means of warmth."

"They're no time for a sudden dunk in the lake, either," Raphael said lowly. "But a certain dweeb of ours didn't seem to take that into account." Michelangelo laughed. "Haw! You were thrown in the lake? By Donny? No wonder you've been in such a bad mood, bro!" With a quick movement of his arm, Raphael quickly hit his brother in the back of his head. "Can it, dummy, or you're next."

Inside the large tent, Donatello left Casey's side to look through the bags for the blankets they had packed. "What did you want to talk to me about?" He hoped the question didn't sound as terrified as it really was. It was bad enough that he could still taste April's lips against his mouth; he didn't need to confront Casey only minutes afterward.

Finding the blanket, Donatello stood up and turned, surprised to see that Casey had closed the distance between them. He took a surprised step backwards, but calmed down when he saw that the man's face was overwhelmed with joy. "Did she tell you?"

"Who?"

"April."

"Tell me what?"

"C'mon, Donny, she tells you everything."

Donatello looked away. "Yeah. Yeah, she told me." Casey let out an ecstatic laugh that cut through Donatello sharply. "Isn't it great? Never thought I'd settle, that's for sure. Hey, look." Donatello's eyes shifted to Casey's hand, seeing that he had grabbed his bag and removed a small ring box from it. "I haven't shown it to her yet, don't wanna make her feel obligated while she sorts things out, y'know, but I'd figure I'd show it to you, see if you think she'll like it."

Donatello looked at the box being offered to him, not being able to bring himself to meet Casey's eyes. Slowly, he reached out and took the box. Not really wanting to see what was inside, he opened it with trepidation. His eyes widened as he got a glimpse of it. "Casey," he uttered. "Is this a-?" Casey laughed and replied that it was. Bringing the box closer to his face, Donatello marveled over the ring within the box. White gold, it was fashioned to look like a small turtle, with a diamond for its shell.

"I figured," Casey explained as Donatello continued to examine the ring, "that we woulda never met if it hadn't been for you guys, so I wanted to offer a kinda tribute or somethin', I guess. And besides, I know she loves you." Donatello almost dropped the box as he gaped up at Casey. "What did you say?" Casey looked at him, puzzled. "I know she loves you. You know, you guys. You're all like brothers to her, so I figured it'd be a, y'know, a nice touch."

Donatello's heart rate slowly going back to normal, he nodded and handed the ring back to Casey. "Oh. Well… it's nice. It's really nice." Taking the box and looking down at it thoughtfully, Casey asked, "Ya think so?" Swallowing with difficulty, Donatello nodded. "Yeah. It's… nice. She'll love it." Casey grinned up at him. "Thanks, Donny. I'm hopin' so."

They stood there for a moment, looking at one another. Donatello somehow managed a small smile at the young man beaming down at him. When the turtle's smile surfaced, Casey threw his head back in laughter and engulfed him in a hug. "I'm gonna get _married_, Donny! Woo! Casey Jones is tyin' the knot!"

Outside, April wrapped her arms around herself and hunched over her knees, beginning to grow more and more worried. What were Casey and Donatello talking about? Why weren't they out yet? "Are you feeling ill, April?" She looked up at Splinter. "No…. Well… actually… I don't know if I feel so well right now."

"You took a hard fall," Leonardo said, standing by the now-blazing fire and looking down at her. "Are you bruised?" April shook her head. "No, I… I don't know. I just need to rest, I guess." Leonardo nodded, starting off in the direction Casey and Donatello had walked off to. "I'll go get your sleeping bag. Lying down for a bit might make you feel better."

She was about to tell him not to, when Casey came jovially out of the tent, his arm around Donatello once again. "Hey boys," he called boisterously. "Who's up for a game of poker?" Raphael, who had been warming himself by the fire, asked, "What we playin' for?" Michelangelo looked up at Raphael from his comic book. "You ever hear of playing for _fun_, dude?" A sly grin towards his brother, Raphael commented, "Since when's winning stuff ain't fun?"

"What about you, Leo?" Casey asked the turtle that was passing by him. "You game?" Leo shook his head with a small smile. "Not really. I'm going to start on dinner after I get April's sleeping bag." Confused, Casey asked, "Sleeping bag? A bit early, ain't it?" Continuing on to the tent, Leonardo mentioned, "She's going to lie down for a bit. Not feeling well. Might be from the fall or something, I don't know."

Casey spun around to look at April, his arm dropping from Donatello as he advanced towards her. "Hey, you okay?" April looked at Donatello. Though he didn't look at her, Casey's behavior proved that nothing incriminating had been said. "I'm fine," April breathed, slowly beginning to calm down. "Just… I don't know, a little shaken up. From… the fall." Casey crouched by her, putting a hand on her leg as he looked up at her. "Didja get hurt? Bruises or anything?" He began searching her bare legs, making April wish she had decided against wearing shorts. "I'm fine. Just… Leo worries."

"_I_ worry, too," Casey told her, meeting her eyes. "Ain't I allowed to worry?" There was a moment of silence. Donatello's heart seemed to sink lower and lower with every word Casey said. Finally, Raphael remarked, "Jeez, Casey, you gonna sit over there 'n be a sap, or you gonna play poker?"

His brother's brash voice broke his immobility, and Donatello walked towards April. "Here," he said quietly, handing her the blanket. "Keep warm." April took it, trying to read Donatello's eyes. He had turned away quickly, however, and stepped back towards the tent. "I'll be inside, reading. Let me know when dinner's ready." Michelangelo and Raphael muttered in affirmation as they got themselves ready for the card game. "Yo Case," Raphael called, "don't make an offer if you just gonna sit there and count April's eyelashes. Get over here and play poker."

Casey stood, looking down at his girlfriend. "You sure you all right?" His voice was softer, and he looked down at April with great concern. She gave him a small smile and nodded. "Go play," she told him. "Rob Raphael of every last dime, okay?" Casey laughed and, with a final glance back at her, turned towards the two turtles getting ready for the game. "You bring out what is best in him," Splinter murmured. April looked down. Somehow, Splinter's words just weren't helping her that night.

Leonardo emerged from the tent, carrying April's sleeping bag. "Here you go," he said, unrolling it a few yards away from where she and Splinter were sitting. April thank him and walked over towards it. "Just close your eyes for a bit. We'll let you know when dinner's set." Nodding, April smiled at him as she slipped into her sleeping bag. "Probably just the long ride here," she whispered. Leonardo nodded and stepped away as April made herself comfortable, wrapping the blanket that Donatello had given her around herself. Strangely enough, the emotional roller coaster ride she had been on for the entire day actually did seem to make her tired.

Without meaning to, April drifted off into a deep sleep.

* * *

Something soft suddenly brushed up against April's face.

Stirring awake, April became conscious of a pair of golden eyes looking up at her. "Hm?" Sitting up, April realized that she had just been awoken by Klunk. Looking around, she saw that the flames that Leonardo had started had died away, and four sleeping bags lay side by side across the way. She heard someone clear his throat, and looked up to see Donatello sitting some feet behind her with a book in one hand and a thermos in the other.

Crawling towards her, he unscrewed the top of the thermos as he whispered, "How you could sleep through that screaming match of a poker game is beyond me." Fixing her hair, April asked, "How long have I been asleep?" Pouring some soup from the thermos into a cup, Donatello replied, "A little over four hours, I think. They didn't want to leave you sleeping without food, but I offered to stay up reading until you woke up so I can make sure you eat."

Accepting the offered food and thanking him, April sat back and began to eat quietly. Klunk came over and began bothering Donatello to be petted, and he silently obliged. A few crickets sounded in the air, and other than that and the sounds of sleeping coming from the three turtles and Casey, there was silence. Finally, April inquired, "So… what did you and Casey talk about earlier?"

Still focusing on Klunk, Donatello remained quiet for a moment, causing April to look at him cautiously. Just as she was about to drop the subject, Donatello answered, "He just wanted to be sure I knew about the two of you. I guess he wanted to… bubble over, if you can imagine that term being used to describe him." April frowned as she thought of how painful that must have been for Donatello. "I'm sorry," she began, but he quickly cut her off. "Sorry? For what?" He looked up, though not at her, a dim smile on his lips. "You'll love the ring, I think."

"This isn't funny, Don," April suddenly said. Donatello finally met her eyes, a bit alarmed to see that she was crying again, just as she was in the van. "I had never said it was," he replied. "But you have to understand, April… there's no other way for me to respond." Swallowing back a sob, April stated that there was, and Donatello replied with a stern shake of his head. "No, there isn't. If you love him, and I know you do, and you want to spend the rest of your life with him and raise a family, then there's no reason why you shouldn't get married."

"_You're_ reason enough!"

Trying to keep his voice down, Donatello answered, "No. April, what we did before, what happened, that was stupid. We both knew it was. You're still the best friend I could ever hope to have, but if it's a choice between Casey getting hurt or me being hurt, then I'd rather it be me." He stood quickly and turned away from her. "I'm used to it, after all."

He tried to step away, but felt her arms wrap around his legs. Closing his eyes and attempting to maintain his balance, he tried to be unyielding. He wanted to be selfish, he wanted to be happy, he wanted to have a small taste of what it meant to live a normal life with a beautiful woman… but after speaking with Casey that evening, he knew he could never bring himself to do that. Despite Casey's psychopathic ways and brash mannerisms, he was still a good man who had proven to be a good _friend_ on countless occasions. If he could save up the money to buy a ring for April that far surpassed Donatello's beliefs, then he could surely provide for her and make her happy. All Donatello could offer was a room in a sewer.

Crying against Donatello's legs, April felt she knew what was going on through the turtle's mind. Did he not realize that she didn't care? Or was he just more concerned with making sure she got what was best? If that were the case, then it only proved that he was just as altruistic as she had always thought, which didn't help make this sudden parting any easier. Slowly, she reached up and took hold of his hand, squeezing it gently. "Donny," she whispered. "Don't you deserve to be happy?"

Donatello remained silent for a moment once again, and finally said, "Yes. But so do you. And so does Casey." Releasing his leg and standing behind him, April told him, "_You_ make me happy." Donatello seemed to consider this for a moment before responding, "And _you_ make Casey happy. So where does that leave us?" Embracing him with her free arm, April said, "I don't know. But if we're together right now, then I don't care." With a deep sigh, Donatello turned around and looked at her. "April, be sensible about this. We _can't_ work out. You want a family, and I can't give you that-"

"How do you know?" Donatello was struck silent at April's sudden question. He blinked and took a step back to look at her more clearly in the crescent moonlight. Was she actually suggesting…? "April," he began slowly, "genetically speaking-" She interrupted him once more. "Genetically speaking, anything is possible."

Turning away from him, April angrily told him, "Donny, all I ask is for _one_ conversation with you where sensibility and logic don't matter. Where you stop overanalyzing the situation and turning yourself into a sacrifice for the greater good. Can't you be a little selfish once in a while?"

Considering this for a moment, Donatello asked, "Maybe you want me to be selfish so you can justify your own selfish feelings?" Not even bothering to lie, April replied, "Yes." In a smaller voice, she looked down and said, "I… I _want_ you, Don. And if you just keep pushing me away for Casey's good, I'm going to feel like a terrible person. Please, Donny. Be selfish. For _my_ sake."

A small smile arising at the irony of her words, Donatello reached out for April's hand. At the touch, she quickly turned to him and hid her head against his shoulder, trying to keep back the tears. For a moment, they just stood there, eyes closed, holding one another, feeling one another's warm bodies in the cool spring night. Donatello raised a hand to soothingly stroke April's back as she began to sob quietly, murmuring sounds of comfort. He knew this was going to be hard. Why did he always have to be right?

At length, April raised her head from his shoulder, looking down at him, her face stained with tears. Not wanting to see her that way, he gently wiped at the tears with one of his hands, his other arm tightening around her. "No more tears," he whispered thinly. "I'm sorry. I never meant to make you feel this way."

"No," she answered softly. "But I do. So what are you going to do about it?" Donatello could do little else but stare at her for a long while. Finally, he realized, "There's only one thing I _can_ do. Console you." April closed her eyes, feeling that her desperate efforts were hopeless. She was surprised, then, to feel his mouth against hers once again. Again, she was overtaken by a sense of doing something terribly wrong, but again, she ceased to care. Opening her mouth slightly, she allowed the kiss to intensify as much as Donatello would allow it.

It was a long time before they separated. Feeling flushed, April looked down at Donatello, who was gazing up at her with a soft expression. And for all of her guilt, it was that face that made her feel that she was doing the right thing. Almost crying again as she focused on her affections for the turtle, she embraced him tightly.

Something from the corner of her eye caught her attention, and she looked up. She suddenly stiffened up as she realized that, standing at the doorway of the tent and watching them, was Splinter. It was impossible to read his expression in the dim moonlight, and fear washed over April even as the sensei turned and retreated back into the tent.

Donatello also stiffened. Spotting movement, he looked to see Raphael sitting upright in his sleeping bag, glaring at them. It looked to Donatello as though there was murder in Raphael's eyes, but he couldn't tell if that were true, or if it was only his usual expression. Raphael broke his eye contact with Donatello and fell back into his sleeping bag, sinking under the cover as though to block himself from the view.

Slowly, April and Donatello parted. Both of them gaped at each other, not sure whether or not to tell the other of the unknown spectators. Finally, April stuttered, "Good night." As she turned back to her sleeping bag, Donatello stood in place. "Good night," he whispered.

Though April at least pretended to, Donatello got no sleep for the rest of the night.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey, where's Raph?"

Michelangelo kicked his brother's sleeping bag after seeing it empty. "It's a bit early for him to wander, ain't it?" Leonardo looked up from rolling his sleeping bag. "I noticed that as well," he said. "Hey Casey, do you happen to know where Raphael went?"

Before Casey could respond that he didn't, a sleepy voice explained, "He left as soon as day broke." The others turned to see Donatello sitting with his back against a tree, a few yards away from the still-slumbering April. Confused, Leonardo asked, "Raphael? Up since daybreak?" Shrugging it off, Michelangelo commented, "He probably went lookin' for a bench press or something. You know how wired he's been."

"Exactly," Leonardo told him, standing. "That's why I worry." Turning to Donatello, he asked, "What direction did he go in?" Donatello was about to respond when he realized that, being alone and angry, Raphael could very well blurt out what he had seen the night before. When Casey finished packing up his sleeping bag and asked the same question, Donatello knew that he couldn't risk having either of them speak to Raphael before he had a chance to attempt to extract some of his resentment. "I didn't catch it," he lied. "I was half-asleep. Maybe off by the lake?"

"That works out," Michelangelo said. "We got up this early to go fishin', didn't we? We'll just look for 'im on the way there. He'll meet up with us if he comes back and doesn't see us." Still concerned, Leonardo mentioned, "I don't know. Maybe one of us should do a quick search of the opposite end of the woods, just in case. It's not like Raphael to take off so early; he usually runs off at night."

"I'll do it," Donatello offered, perhaps too quickly. He stood up and stretched, trying to make it look convincing. "I haven't slept well, so I could use the exercise." Grabbing the four sleeping bags from the ground and taking them towards the tent, Casey queried, "April _did_ wake up eventually, right? You didn't stay up the whole night waitin' to give her food?"

With a glance at April, Donatello replied, "Yes. Yes, she woke up. I just… had some trouble getting to sleep, that's all." As Casey slipped the sleeping bags into the tent, Donatello walked off in the direction he had actually seen Raphael go off in. "I'll just look around for Raph. I might not join you by the lake, though. I'm feeling a little… off." As Donatello hurried away, Leonardo gazed after him, narrowing his eyes in thought. Michelangelo stepped behind him. "You don't think whatever April's got is contagious, do ya, bro?" Watching Donatello disappear amidst the trees, Leonardo quietly answered, "I don't know, Mikey."

Casey stepped out of the tent, followed by Splinter. His eyes quickly going over the group, the rat asked, "What has happened to Raphael and Donatello?" Stooping to tie a shoelace, Casey responded, "Raph's gone off by himself again, so Donny's just makin' sure he's not out doin' nothin' stupid." Splinter's seemed to consider this, then looked to Leonardo. Feeling his sensei's eyes on him, Leonardo returned the gaze.

"So come on, amigos," Michelangelo exclaimed as he began picking up his fishing gear. "Let's get goin' before I wonder why I bothered getting up so early when I coulda been getting my beauty sleep." Casey nodded and strode over to April. "Right. Lemme just wake up April." Stepping in his way, Splinter told Casey, "I judge that April may still be feeling unwell." Eyes widening, Casey gasped, "What? How can ya tell?"

Leonardo spoke up. "Sensei has ways of knowing these sorts of things. What do you recommend we do, Master?" Splinter replied that he felt that April would be well after a bit more sleep. "Well," Casey said ponderously, looking towards the sleeping girl, "I guess I can just stay behind and make sure she's doin' okay." Splinter told him that that would be unnecessary. "I shall stay with her. You should enjoy this day with your friends. I will send her to you when I have ascertained that she is well enough." Unconvinced, Casey asked, "Well, what's wrong with her?" Splinter remained silent before turning back towards the tent and saying, "Nothing that a little tea cannot cure."

Casey was about to argue, but Leonardo had stepped towards him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Trust Sensei, Casey," he told him. "Let's just go out and enjoy ourselves. That's what you told us yesterday, isn't it?" Seeming torn, Casey looked from April to the tent. Finally, with a heavy sigh, he picked up his fishing equipment. "Fine," he conceded. "Hope he's wrong, though. I'd hate her to be sick out here."

With a murmur of reassurance from Leonardo, the trio made their way towards the lake.

* * *

To say Donatello was worried would be an understatement.

He walked swiftly and quietly through the woods, his weary eyes searching for his brother. An uneasiness settled in his heart as he got further and further away from the camp. It had been about an hour since Raphael had disappeared, and there was nothing much in this direction besides trees and a single clearing. Unless he circled back to the lake without crossing the campsite, he was still out here somewhere.

But where? And why? Raphael was certainly not the meditative type, and Donatello hadn't heard anything breaking. It suddenly dawned on Donatello: did Raphael know that Donatello would come looking for him, and was waiting for him? Jumping down a small incline, he finally decided that no, Raphael wasn't patient enough for something like that. His rage would bubble over before long, and he would snap if he had to sit around, just waiting.

Walking away from the incline, Donatello heard a twig crack behind him. Turning quickly, he managed to see a green blur before he was hit in the stomach just hard enough to be pushed backwards. By the time he realized that Raphael had snuck up behind him and kicked him, Donatello had fallen to the ground. "Raph!"

Raphael stood behind him, his sais in hand. "Get up," he said darkly. Confused and suddenly terrified, Donatello backed away from his brother. "Raph, what's wrong?" With a growl, Raphael almost yelled, "You know _damn well_ what's wrong! Get up! We're gonna do some sparrin'." Donatello backed up against a tree and slowly began to stand. "Easy, Raph. We're on vacation, remember? We've promised each other to ease off on the sparring for a bit."

Donatello ducked his head as he saw one of Raphael's sais shoot towards him. He heard it hit the tree, and was horrified to see that, if he hadn't moved, the weapon would have gone through him like a hot knife through butter. With what sounded like pure loathing, Raphael replied, "Sometimes promises get broken. Especially the unspoken ones that we'd think would be common sense." In a flash, Raphael was directly in front of him and jerked his sai out of the tree. "Now get your stupid stick out and _spar_!"

Knowing he had no choice, Donatello slowly withdrew his bo.

* * *

"The others have left."

April cringed when she heard Splinter's voice behind her. Turning, she saw the sensei emerge from the tent, holding a cup of something hot. She only felt worse when he offered her the cup, saying, "I informed them that you still appeared ill, and thought it best that you rest until what ails you has vanished."

Trying to keep her hand from shaking, April took the offered cup of tea. "I… I'm fine, Splinter. Really. You didn't have to get Casey all worried about me." Looking her directly in the eye, Splinter responded, "I am of the opinion that he would have worried more had he spoken to you before I did."

Stopping in mid-sip, April tried to return Splinter's gaze before turning away from him, unable to look at him after knowing what he had seen. "Splinter… I… I don't know what to say." She closed her eyes and attempted to stop the tears before they fell. "Everything has just… it's been so much, so quickly."

There was a moment of silence before Splinter finally said, "When one claims to not know what to say, that is because one is afraid of revealing what is truly in the heart. April… have I ever given you a reason to hide your heart from me?" His words made her turn to look at him once more. "No, Splinter! You… you're like a father to me! And the turtles… they're… my brothers." Her voice grew quieter as she went on. "We're a family. What I've done, it's… oh… how could I…?"

She trailed off, looking up as Splinter turned away and walked towards where he had been sitting the night before. "Come here, child," he said as he sat cross-legged by the skeletal remains of what had been a fire. "When one is gifted with the powers of speech, it would be best to use this gift, lest our thoughts eat away at our soul. I am not a judge. I am not a jury. I am merely one who cares for you very deeply and who does not wish to see your heart in turmoil. Come, tell me everything."

Not understanding why she hadn't tried to do so before, April approached Splinter.

* * *

"Raph, you're taking things too seriously!"

Donatello ducked again as a sai lashed out towards him, only to lose his balance and have to do a flip to get away as Raphael lowered his weapon once more. "Quit runnin' your mouth and _fight_." He lunged at Donatello, forcing the scared turtle to raise his bo and jab him hard in the stomach, forcing the wind out of him. "Raph, quit this! Can't we have a civil conversation?"

Coughing as he resisted the urge to double over, Raphael glared up at his brother. "Civil? You wanna be civil? You think a guy who messes around with someone else's girl's got it in him to be _civil_?" The words hurt Donatello more than a frontal attack, and he frowned at Raphael bitterly. "April's a grown woman," he told him. "She can make her own decisions."

"Yeah?" Raphael countered hotly. "Guess what? I thought _you_ could make your own decisions, too! But it looks like the boy genius turned out to be as much of an idiot as us 'uncivil' guys, huh?" He attacked once more, but Donatello managed to block him with his bo. As Raphael pressed down in an attempt to get Donatello to release his block, Donatello asked, "What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"How exact you want me to be?" Raphael breathed out as he bore down on Donatello, trying to push him back. "Want me to find the standard deviation or somethin' for ya?" Donatello jumped away, causing Raphael to stumble slightly. Satisfied with having put a little more distance between himself and his brother, Donatello asked his question again. Breathing hard due to his exertions, Raphael gave Donatello another hard look. "Think about it, Don. If none of us have ever touched a chick, what makes you think _you _can?"

Donatello began to realize what Raphael was saying. "You mean…?" With a sour smirk, Raphael looked away. "What'd you think, the rest of us are some kinda eunuchs or somethin'? We _know_ April's beautiful; at least, _I_ do. And April's not the only beautiful girl in the city…." Just as it seemed his voice was growing softer, he whirled back to Donatello. "But so what? There's nothing we can do about it! We're even less than sewer rats, and you wanna drag April down into our world?"

Getting tired of the antagonism Raphael was exhibiting when it seemed that they had similar thoughts, Donatello harshly replied, "It's a bit late to think about _that_, isn't it? April's been with us since we first started battling the Shredder, and she's _still_ with us. And if you think that I'm stupid enough to think that anything long-lasting is going to come out of what you saw last night, then _you're _the idiot here, Raph."

"Alright," Raphael yelled, turning this into a full-blown argument. "Then if you know that nothing else is going to happen, why'd you bother doing it? You coulda just walked away. You coulda just broke it off, gone to bed, and she woulda forgotten everything she said to you. Why'd you kiss her!"

Because I _wanted_ to!" Donatello responded angrily. "Is that so wrong? She's pretty, she's smart, and she actually _wanted_ me to kiss her! When was I going to get a chance like that again, Raph? I know it's going to hurt someone. And I know that this makes me a jerk. But I don't care. Why should I hide in the sewer and pretend that I don't have any kinds of urges or anything? For crying out loud, people look at me and think I'm a beastanyway; why can't I fall back onto my animalistic instincts, huh?"

Despite Raphael's screamed responses, Donatello turned swiftly and ran away from the scene.

* * *

Distant sounds began flooding the air as April finished telling Splinter all that had transpired.

They both sat and listened to the muffled sounds coming from the mess of trees, as though they knew what the undecipherable echoes meant. April looked down at her hands, ashamed. Splinter had seen Raphael watching them last night as well, and so it was safe to assume that the vaguely-familiar yelling was stemming from an argument between him and Donatello… an argument that started because of her petty advances.

After a moment, she thinly stated, "I… will never… be able to look any of them in the eye anymore." There was no response from Splinter for a long time. Just as April wondered if this was some form of agreement, he asked her, "Does Casey have any inkling of your feelings?" She almost sobbed again. "I don't know. Sometimes I wonder how he _can't_. I feel as though I'm being so stupidly obvious… but then, Casey _can_ be a bit stupidly _oblivious_." She somehow managed a small laugh.

Splinter allowed another short period of silence to elapse before he observed, "The emotions you have for Casey are sincere. However, you also seem to feel this fondness for Donatello equally." Standing, he told her, "I am afraid that only you can decide which path you are meant to take."

Surprised, April looked up at Splinter. "What? Is that the only advice you can give? There's no lecture about why I should accept last night as a mistake and marry Casey?" Without looking at her, Splinter allowed a sad smile to emerge. "I never offered advice. I merely offered a way for you to rationalize what you feel into words." Glancing down at her, he said, "If you feel that your actions were a mistake, then they were a mistake, and should be regarded as such. It is your responsibility to make this decision. Remember that the happiness of two very noble individuals rests upon your choice, so do not take your contemplation lightly."

Finding herself disappointed as Splinter walked away from her, April commented, "Sure. No pressure." A small chuckle came from Splinter, though it was clear he felt no mirth. Stopping at the entrance to the tent, he looked back at her. "I believe my sons all knew that such would be the consequence if they ever found themselves falling in love with a human. If Donatello, who is by far the most commonsensical of them all, is affected by you, then you are a very special young woman, Miss O'Neil. I have every confidence that you will do what is right."

He was about to disappear into the tent when someone emerged from the woods. "Ah! Raphael!" Seeing that he was alone, Splinter asked, "Where is Donatello?" Raphael's eyes were focused on the ground, his mouth set in a firm line. "He split," he answered curtly. "Ran off."

April was devastated. Without looking at him, she asked, "Where did he go?" Raphael snapped at her. "He _split_, I said. If you care so much, why don't _you_ go lookin' for him and leave me the hell alone?" Splinter sharply reprimanded him. "Raphael!"

Silence hung in the air, enveloping the three of them. Finally April stood up and walked towards where Raphael had emerged from. "April?" Splinter inquired. Without turning, she answered, "I'm going to look for him." As she crossed paths with Raphael, she felt his hand close around her upper arm as he pulled her to a stop. She gave him a look and saw that he had narrowed his eyes at her. "Do me a favor, will ya?" Raphael requested. "Think 'a Casey. Okay? Just do me that favor."

Pulling sharply away from Raphael, April went off to look for Donatello.


	4. Chapter 4

"I know why you are angry, my son."

Raphael looked up at Splinter. "What you mean?" Though he was pissed off beyond comprehension at Donatello and April's actions, he was no snitch. He wasn't going to just assume that they would bug Splinter with their sordid affair and end up blowing their cover. No, let their own stupidity sink their relationship.

"I saw what you saw," Splinter responded, "and had a discussion with April similar to that which you have had with your brother. However, based on your body language and your personality, I can assume my conversation was slightly more civil." Raphael turned away, disgusted. "I hear that word one more time and I'm gonna puke. That and 'selfish.'" Twirling his sais in his hand, he muttered, "Jeez, how can people claim to be one when they know they're bein' the other, too? If that's civil, then I don't mind bein' an outcast 'a society."

He focused on the trees in front of him, knowing that Splinter's careful eyes were on him the whole time. "And don't try to analyze my behavior, either," he told his teacher. "You already know how I feel about this, so the fact that the 'smart one' can't get that through his head pisses me off." His sensei said nothing, making Raphael slightly uneasy. Finally, Splinter softly asked, "How long have you suspected it?"

Raphael stopped his handiwork on the sais, surprised. "What makes ya think I suspected it?" In a somewhat wry tone, Splinter replied, "I analyzed your behavior." With a heavy sigh, Raphael muttered, "I thought I told ya not to do that." Without waiting for Splinter to respond, he said, "Where're the guys? By the lake? I'm 'a go join 'em."

As he began heading to the lake, he was stopped once more by Splinter's voice. "Raphael. I judge that you are sensible enough to not burden the others with your knowledge?" Seeming to think it over, Raphael shot Splinter a look over his shoulder. "For once, it's not _me_ that ya gotta talk to about being sensible." Continuing along his path, Raphael threw in, "I like that bonehead too much to let 'im know the truth."

Splinter anxiously watched his aggressive pupil make his way to the lake.

* * *

Donatello slowed to a stop when he got to the clearing.

Breathing hard, he listened. Raphael had not bothered to follow him. He had doubted that he would, but nevertheless, Donatello dreaded what his brother would do or say upon his return to the camp. If Splinter found out about this… Donatello's shame would be unbearable.

Thinking over his actions, Donatello realized what had just transpired between himself and Raphael. Threats. Violence. Screaming. Donatello had never been one for any of those things; had, in fact, always labeled himself as a pacifist. …and now, he allowed himself to get into a heated argument with the most volatile of his brothers. Disgusted with himself, he threw his bo to the ground with a harsh cry and jumped towards a tree limb, blindly making his way to the top.

Once he was as high as he could go, he settled down on the bough and dropped his head in his hands. The past day was shaping up to be an emotional roller coaster ride unlike anything he had experienced before. Why was it that something so seemingly trivial when compared to the fate of the world can still cause such tremendous heartache?

He looked down into the clearing. Meditation. Meditation was what he needed. It helped Leonardo; surely it could help him. If he could only clear his mind, everything would be all right. The answers would come and he could be happy. April could be happy. And Casey would not get hurt. Because that's what it came down to, wasn't it? Finding a formula by which everyone could head back to the city with some degree of satisfaction? If such a formula existed, Donatello was certainly the one who would be able to figure it out.

He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as he stared down at a single blade of grass from his perch. He watched it tremble in the gentle breeze and closed his eyes. He was not in the optimal position for meditation, but he was going to give it his best shot. And if he couldn't find the answers through Leonardo's way, then he would exercise his frustrations out, as Raphael would. And if that didn't work, he could always borrow one of Michelangelo's comic books.

After an unknown amount of time, Donatello felt another presence nearby. Opening his eyes, he looked down and saw April gazing up at him, his bo in her hands. "April!" He murmured her name as he jumped from his place in the tree, landing in a crouch a few feet in front of her. He straightened up, and they merely stared at one another, not moving a single inch.

She hadn't wanted to bother him. It was clear from looking at him that he had been upset and trying to contemplate something of vast importance, and April felt it was obvious what this thing was. If Donatello had been flustered enough to leave his bo on the ground, then she could only guess at his confused emotions. Even now, his face hadn't softened at the sight of her, and he still appeared to be preoccupied and angry.

Unsure of what to say, April slowly handed him his bo. She was shocked when he bitterly smacked it away, letting it clatter to the ground. "I don't _want_ that," he exclaimed. Removing his bandanna and balling it in his fist, he uttered, "I don't want this anymore. None of this."

"Donny," April started, but was quickly silenced. "Would _you_?" His brown eyes met hers as he asked her the question in a heartbroken voice. "Think about it. Would you want the life I've led? Would you want the apprehension? Would you want the pressures, the loneliness, the complete and utter _dependency_ on the only other people like you in the entire world?" Looking away, Donatello quietly breathed, "It's not easy, April."

April took a tentative step towards him, placing a hand on his arm. "Donny," she offered softly, worried. "Your life has _meaning_." Donatello pulled away from her, scoffing, "Meaning? Where's the meaning in almost being killed by your brother for admitting feelings you've hidden away until recently?" April could do little else but stare at him dumbly, registering what he just said. "Donny," she finally spoke, "don't let anything Raphael says or does change your mind about what you feel." His eyes and voice softened as he questioned, "Even if he makes sense?"

They remained silent for a moment. April then looked downwards, averting his eyes. "So… does this mean…?" Donatello stepped towards her and embraced her, resting his forehead against her shoulder. "I don't know what this means. And that's part of what's bothering me. April… we both know what's right. We both know what needs to be done. We both know that this can't go on."

April raised her head, looking down at the turtle holding onto her. "Maybe," she said quietly, her arms draping over his shoulders. "But… just for today… can we pretend that we _don't_?" Donatello slowly looked up at her. A single tear crept down her cheek, even as her emerald eyes gleamed with the small vestige of hope. Against his better judgment, he raised a hand and gently wiped the tear away.

"Just for today," he whispered.

* * *

"Well, look who decided to show."

Leonardo looked up from the lake when he heard Michelangelo's voice. Looking back, he saw Raphael walking towards them steadily, his body contracted with tension. "Where you been?" Michelangelo asked. Avoiding his interrogator, Raphael sat on the embankment and snapped, "What's it matter to you, huh?"

"Well, _some_one woke up on the wrong side 'a the woods this mornin'," Casey remarked as he waded out of the shallow water at the mouth of the lake. He tossed Raphael his fishing pole, saying, "Here. Maybe ya have better luck at this stupid hobby than I do." Raphael caught it on instinct, but put it on the ground besides him. "No thanks. Not feelin' it."

"What's the matter, Raph?" Leonardo ventured to ask. "I thought you had been looking forward to this trip as much as the rest of us." Raphael glared up at his brother, who was slowly making his way towards him. "I _said_ I'm not feeling it." Coming out of the water and shaking the excess moisture off his legs, Casey commented, "Ooh, someone's cranky. Gettin' enough vitamin C? I heard somewhere that people think it helps when ya got a bad temper." Reeling in his line, Michelangelo said, "Haw, when you said vitamin C, I thought ya meant _he_ was sick, too. It'd be a huge downer if he caught whatever April and Donny's got."

At the mention of the two names, Raphael noticeably flinched. His eyes went up to look at Casey before turning away. "Sick, huh? I thought _I'd_ be the only one to call 'em that." Dropping himself onto the ground besides Raphael, Casey punched him lightly on the shoulder, saying, "Hey, watch what you say about her, will ya? She might just be the future Mrs. Casey Jones."

Raphael kept his eyes focused away from Casey, feeling his anger melt down to something akin to pity. Casey had told him early on about his plans to propose to April, and he knew what the purpose of this trip had been. However, the thought of Casey finding out that the girl he loved was sneaking around with his brother—and for how long?—was enough to make Raphael feel as dirty as he thought Donatello should feel.

"Dude, so ya finally popped the question, huh?" Michelangelo asked with a grin. "Congrats, man." Leonardo nodded down at Casey. "Yes," he said quietly, though his attention was still focused on Raphael. "I wish the two of you the best of luck." Revolted with the situation, Raphael exclaimed, "Hey, she didn't say yes yet, so it ain't official. Don't get the bum's hopes up, okay?"

Another punch landed on Raphael's shoulder, though a little harder. "C'mon, gimme some credit, Raph," Casey told him in a surprised voice. "This is _me_ we're talkin' about. We all knew from the beginning that April could only say no to me for a certain amount 'a time before she saw the light." Despite his words, Raphael could hear a small tinge of uncertainty in his friend's voice. Apparently, Casey was a bit more unsure of April's reaction than he let on.

"Right," Raphael muttered, standing up to get away from what he felt to be a closing circle of people he currently felt mixed emotions towards. "Just cut the optimism and catch a fish for dinner, or I'm gonna beat you if I need to eat Leo's soup again." He walked away as Michelangelo asked if he could cook dinner that night. Thinking of how he couldn't wait for this "vacation" to be over, Raphael tried to escape again before he heard Leonardo call his name. Stopping, Raphael asked, "What?"

Leonardo said nothing for a few moments before stepping cautiously towards Raphael. "Where's Donny?" Raphael shrugged sharply and continued walking. "I dunno. He ran off." Concerned, Leonardo asked, "So he's not back at camp?"

Realizing what Leonardo was considering doing, Raphael turned to look at him. "No," he said sternly. In what could have almost been a challenge, he added, "Maybe you should go look for 'im." Leonardo met his eyes levelly, almost as though slowly deciphering Raphael's mannerisms. For once, Raphael didn't mind this. With a nod, Leonardo turned to head towards the woods. "Right," he agreed. "I'll meet you guys back at the site in a couple of hours." Though Michelangelo and Casey tried to object, Leonardo was already off on his search for his brother.

Though he knew he should feel terrible, Raphael couldn't help but smile grimly.

* * *

Donatello slowly pulled away from April, looking down at her with a thin smile.

They were laying side-by-side on the grass as the warm sun shone around them, hidden by the shade of a small incline they had laid by. The dew didn't bother them as they did what they had promised they'd do; pretend that they didn't know that this would be the only day they could be together. Oddly enough, it left them both with a bittersweet sense of peace.

"What is it?" April asked as Donatello slowly sat up. Leaning back on his hands and shaking his head slowly at her, he responded, "Nothing. I just can't believe everything that's happened." Raising her head from the ground, April worriedly queried, "Do you regret it?" Remembering how they had agreed not to mention or think of anyone outside of themselves for just this one day, Donatello allowed his small smile to widen as he replied, "No. Not a bit."

Calming down, April slowly moved over to rest her head in Donatello's lap. "Good," she said quietly. "I don't want to be the only one without regrets." Her hair had fallen loose about her shoulders, as it rarely did, and Donatello gently began running his fingers through it as she embraced him from her laying position. "I can't regret this," he whispered, more to himself than to her. "I _deserve_ to feel this. For just once in my life, I deserve to feel the way I do right now."

"…how _do_ you feel right now?" Donatello remained silent for a moment, trying to think of an ample word to describe his emotions. He knew he couldn't call it love, for that would imply something much more long-term than they had the chance for. It certainly wasn't lust, since he knew that he had never aggressively made a sexual move towards April, and he wouldn't demean her by using a word as base as that. But there was a word for it. There had to be a word that was so full of meaning and yet so simple as to encompass what he had allowed himself to feel.

"I feel… complete." A small laugh followed after Donatello's words. "I feel absolutely _complete_." They stayed in silence for a moment before April quietly responded, "So do I."

Donatello found himself marveling over how simple life could be, if he only let it. There didn't need to be guilt, there didn't need to be awkwardness. There wasn't even a need for kissing or other physical advances. Though he discovered that morning that those things can certainly be _very_ enjoyable, they weren't necessary to give him this current feeling of oneness with April. He didn't need forever. He didn't need her lifetime. He only needed one day, one single day, to be sure that she knew how he felt about her, and how he will continue to feel about her long after that fateful ring was placed upon her finger. Judging by her steady, serene breathing and her soothing grip about his waist, Donatello had certainly succeeded.

April couldn't resist wondering how she would look back at this moment twenty years from now. Being more intimate in those few hours with Donatello than she had been in all of this time with her future fiancé, April couldn't help but feel ashamed, despite her promise. She _had_ instigated this, after all. But then, with Donatello sharing the same feelings for her, didn't she just do him a favor by allowing him to augment his feelings with action? If he had to live with seeing her wedding pictures haunt him without ever getting the chance to experience what had just happened, would it have eaten him up inside in much the same way it had been doing to a lesser degree this entire time?

She felt foolish to think that she had just done such a thing that would hurt Casey so terribly if he ever found out, purely for Donatello's sake. No, she had done it in large part for herself, as well. If she had gotten married without ever having done what had just been done, April wasn't sure if she could have both remained faithful to Casey _and_ retain her friendship with Donatello. One of those things would have had to have been sacrificed, which is why April meant what she said; she had no regrets. Life was too short for regrets.

April felt Donatello suddenly tensed and looked up at him. He seemed to be listening for something, and gently nudged her away from him. She sat up and needed no explanation. Shrinking back against the incline to shield herself from view, April began straightening herself up as Donatello rose to his feet.

Looking about carefully, Donatello searched for the source of the rustling sounds he had heard. They were too stealthy to just be a wandering animal, but too deliberate to be someone trying to sneak up on them. Feeling that he knew what it was, Donatello continued looking until his eyes fell upon the source of the disturbance. "Leo! …what's up?"

His brother stepped out of the foliage that camouflaged perfectly against his skin and looked at him. "You didn't come back with Raph," Leonardo said matter-of-factly. "And you mentioned feeling sick. I wanted to be sure you're okay." With a nervous laugh, Donatello responded, "I'm beginning to think the others are right; you _do_ worry too much." Stopping a few feet away from Donatello, Leonardo nodded. "I know." He allowed a pause to go by before inquiring, "Where's your bandanna?"

Raising a hand to his face, Donatello realized that he had not put his bandanna back on. Dropping his eyes to the ground, he saw April reach up slightly to offer it to him. Stooping to pick it up, he answered, "Uh, it was bothering me."

"Bothering you?"

"Yeah. Too tight, I think. It gave me a headache."

As Donatello rose with the bandanna in his hand, Leonardo gently told him, "If it still bothers you, don't put it back on." As Donatello met his eyes, Leonardo seemed to speak his words with a very clear subtext. "I wouldn't want it to just make you hurt again." Donatello cocked his head at his brother, curious as to the metaphor that the bandanna seemed to represent.

They shared a moment of eye contact, and Donatello finally lightened the mood with a grin. "No worries," he explained, slipping the bandanna back over his eyes. "I'm fine now. I can continue wearing it without a problem." Whatever this metaphor was, Donatello knew it to be true. He felt much… calmer.

Leonardo seemed to consider this, then returned the grin with a smile of his own. "Good. I've been worried about you, Donny. So seeing a real smile from you is… nice." Donatello offered another small laugh. "Thanks, Leo. It _is_ rather nice."

"Are you going to stay around here for a bit?" Donatello responded that he was, and Leonardo nodded once more. "Okay," he said. "Just be back before nightfall. And no more running off, okay? Raph scared me when he said it that way; I couldn't help but think the worst."

"Raph's got that effect on people."

Leonardo laughed and agreed with him, turning away. As he walked back towards the lake, he added, "And for goodness sakes, make sure that April comes back and eats something for dinner, okay?" Donatello's smile fell away at the remark. How did he-?

The reserved turtle stopped at a tree and looked back at Donatello, his expression still relatively good-natured. "If all she had was leftover soup late last night, she must be starving. And given everything she's been going through the past couple of days… well… she could do with something more substantial."

"…Leo," Donatello began, but couldn't think of anything else to say. Seeing Donatello stumble for words, Leonardo told him, "Donny, relax. I'm not saying that I'm accepting of whatever might have gone on, or whatever was talked about or thought about. I trust you to make your own decisions. I have that respect for you, and I have the same respect for April. You know that everything that happens has a consequence, whether for good or bad, and my feelings on the subject can't change anything. So I'll let the two of you do with that knowledge what you will, and you can consult me if you ever feel the express need for it." He paused for a brief moment before adding, "Seeing you so happy now, I think you've already come to your conclusion. I just hope it's the right one." Resuming his walk towards the camp, Leonardo calmly repeated, "Just be sure she gets something to eat, okay?"

"Right," Donatello said quietly as Leonardo began to disappear out of sight. "Okay." Looking after his brother, Donatello could do nothing but contemplate just what it was that Leonardo had seen or heard, and how much of it he had managed to figure out for himself. Feeling a small blush rise to his cheeks, Donatello slowly knelt down besides April once more.

Looking at her, he saw that she had pinned her hair back up and was nervously hugging her knees to her chest. "Did he… did he really say what I thought he said?" Donatello nodded at her. Her eyes widening, April was obviously distressed by this. "He knows," she quietly marveled. Gently taking hold of her arms, Donatello tried to ease her by saying, "Hey, don't worry about it. It's Leo. I'd be surprised if he _didn't_ know."

"No," April murmured. "He knows. Raph knows. Splinter knows. How long is it going to take before-" She was sharply interrupted by Donatello. "Wait… _Master Splinter_ knows?" The words were sputtered out, and April met his eyes as she nodded her head in affirmation. "How does he know?" With a heavy sigh, April responded, "The same way that Raph knows." This was apparently a hard blow for Donatello, so she put a hand on his arm and tried to get him to relax. "It's all right. He feels the same way Leo does. I guess I shouldn't take what Leo says so hard then, huh?"

"But… _Master Splinter_…." Donatello couldn't believe it. He wouldn't have even felt this bad if Casey himself had known. But for his sensei to learn about his disgraceful actions? Another blush rose up to his cheeks even as April said, "No regrets. Remember, Donny? We're not allowed to have regrets. Just because it seems that everyone apparently knows what happened last night doesn't mean that they know what went on this morning. Leo would _not_ have acted so calm if he had known." Kneeling in front of him, her face only a few inches in front of his, April pleaded, "Please, Donny, don't start feeling bad about this again. We still have a chance to move on."

Donatello looked at her, his mind racing with everything that had occurred in the past twenty-four hours. He sighed deeply and placed his hand over the one April had rest against his arm. "Then let's move on."

"Now?"

"No," he whispered, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Not yet. We still have some time yet." He closed the distance between them and kissed her softly. April almost pulled back, but remembered that there was only one day. Only a few hours. By the time the sun sets, she was expected back with the others. And the sun still set so quickly this time of year in New York.

She may as well make the best of what little time they had.


	5. Chapter 5

"Yo Leo, what took ya so long?"

Leonardo looked up at Michelangelo as he approached the campsite. The laidback turtle was sitting in front of a tame fire, slowly frying the large fish that had been caught earlier. "Nothing, Mikey," Leonardo responded. "It just took a while to find them." Casey looked up at Leonardo. He had been doing push-ups near the tent, and pushed himself up to his knees, stretching. "Them, huh? So April's with Donny still?"

Raphael, sitting with his back against a tree and headphones on, peered up at Leonardo cynically. Leonardo noted this and spoke to Raphael more than Casey. "Yes. It looks like the two of them have been having a serious discussion." Raphael rolled his eyes, scoffing, "Yeah, I bet." Not paying heed to Raphael's bitter tone, Casey sat on the ground and peered into the woods. "Probably about the question."

"Question?" Leonardo asked. Casey nodded, glancing at him. "Yeah. You know, about me asking her to marry me. You know how close the two of them are." Raphael uneasily glanced at Leonardo, who kept his eyes focused on Casey. Seeming to phrase his words very carefully, Leonardo responded, "Yes. Yes, they _are_ close." Casey shrugged, as though that answered everything. "And well, April's usin' this trip as a way to clear her head and think it over. So since Donny's her best friend, she's probably turnin' to him for advice." With a laugh, Casey added, "Hope the knucklehead doesn't remind her of anything I'd rather her forget."

Despite his light-heartedness, Casey turned back to the woods, obviously preoccupied. As Leonardo observed him, he tried to figure out what Casey was thinking. Though he was most likely just earnestly hoping that Donatello wouldn't say anything that may negatively affect April's decision, Leonardo couldn't help but wonder if a part of Casey wasn't… wasn't more _aware_ than what the others had always given him credit for.

"Hey Leo," Michelangelo said, removing the skewered fish from the fire and scrutinizing it as Klunk mewled up at him. "Where'd ya put the plates and stuff last night? This sucker's almost done." Leonardo thought for a moment before heading towards the tent. "I put them inside with the rest of the stuff. I'll go get them." Passing by Raphael, he noticed his belligerent brother looking at him curiously, obviously wanting to ask why exactly Leonardo had been gone for nearly three hours. "Hurry it up, dude," Michelangelo added, looking skywards. "There's a couple of clouds up there, and it would be totally uncool for it to rain and mess with my culinary plans."

Leonardo cautiously stepped into the tent. "Master, I'm not disturbing you, am I?" Splinter was sitting in the candlelight, reading a book. "Not at all," he answered, without looking up. "I have actually been awaiting your return." Having hoped that he wouldn't hear those words, Leonardo walked towards Splinter and knelt before him. "Was there something you needed to speak with me about?" Splinter slowly closed the book and looked up at his son. "Have you spoken with your brother?"

Leonardo hung his head. "Yes," he said lowly. "Only briefly. He was… otherwise occupied." Splinter remained silent for a moment before inquiring, "What did you say to him?" It was Leonardo's turn to pause. Though neither of them had ever discussed Donatello and April's friendship, both of them knew that the other felt there was something more to the relationship than what met the eye. At length, he replied, "I merely told him that I'm here for him and will respect his decision. They're both intelligent enough to weigh the consequences of all of their choices." When Splinter didn't respond, Leonardo anxiously looked up at him. "Sensei… did I say the right thing?"

"It is difficult to know what is right when speaking on matters of love," Splinter told him. "Just as the boundaries between right and wrong seem unclear for you as you think of your brother whom you love, they are also unclear for your brother as he thinks of his friend whom he very clearly loves. Likewise, April undoubtedly has difficulty sorting through her emotions for one whom she has loved as a close companion, and another who has offered her a future family."

"It's just not fair," Leonardo sighed remorsefully. "I mean… I know that April is in a committed relationship with Casey. I know that she's not in the right if she chooses to become physical with someone else behind Casey's back, and I feel terrible about having to keep this from him. But sometimes… I can't help but wonder… if Donny were human…. Sensei, you should have seen the look on his face when I was talking to him. I've never seen him smile that way before. If things had been different…."

"But they are not different," Splinter answered. "Things are exactly as they are, and this is the way it should be. For what reason, no one can say. I understand your inclination to lament the tragedy in Donatello's current situation, but there is no use dwelling on what may have been. You have always known that you were different from all the other creatures that walk this planet, and we have been more fortunate than I had foreseen to befriend a number of them. I had always suspected that it would only be a matter of time before at least one of you felt strong emotions towards a human, but I had not thought that it would be with one whom has already promised herself to another."

At this, Leonardo interrupted Splinter with, "And you hadn't thought that she would return the feelings, I assume?" Splinter looked at his pupil for a moment before looking down with a slightly bemused expression. "I have known human women to do a great many strange things, my son. It is evident in literature and in personal life. Believe me when I say that I truly did not know how a woman would respond to such feelings." Leonardo considered this, then nodded. "Of course I believe you, Sensei. I would just find it difficult to believe that one of them could… could _love_ one of us."

"Humans are capable of many intense emotions. Unfortunately, your uniqueness evokes fear in them, leading them towards their more negative and hostile mindset. However, you have seen enough cases of humans being able to look past the surface and see the soul that lies within the body. April demonstrates that the respect and friendship we earn from these sorts of humans can very easily result in love." With a smile, Splinter finished, "Do not put it past a human to surprise you. They can be even stranger than they envision _us_ to be."

A soft peal of thunder could be heard from outside, and Leonardo looked down in contemplation. "I suppose," he answered. "I just… I wish I knew what to say to Donny to make this easier." He stood and moved towards where he had set the plates the night before. Watching his student, Splinter quietly responded, "You have let him know that you are there. That by itself has made it easier."

Plates in hand, Leonardo contemplatively stepped out of the tent. The sky had grown very overcast in the few minutes he had been inside, and the wind picked up slightly. "'bout time!" Michelangelo called. "Toss me the plates; I need start on the next two before the rain comes down." Placing the cooked fish onto a paper plate that Leonardo held as Klunk tried to paw at them, Michelangelo looked into the creel that he had besides him for the rest of the night's dinner. "Well," Michelangelo muttered, seeing a drop of rain fall into the flames. "It's a good thing Splinter likes sushi. Maybe he won't mind the raw fish so much."

Leonardo covered the fish with another plate and was about to take it inside, when he spotted two figures emerging quickly from the mess of trees. Trying to keep his voice steady despite his thoughts after his conversation with Splinter, he remarked, "Oh, good. Donny and April are back."

Raphael didn't hear Leonardo's comment, as he had his music on as high as it would go, but he noticed the two of them before his brother did. He tensed up as they approached. Like two little kids, they were sprinting towards the campsite in hysterical laughter, and actually had the nerve to be holding hands as they got closer. Trying his best not to explode for Casey's sake, Raphael ripped off his headphones and sat up as they made their way to the others. "Well, if it ain't the _lovebirds_," he said vehemently.

Leonardo winced at Raphael's comment, but no one seemed to regard it as anything more than his usual sarcasm. April tripped and let go of Donatello's hand, rolling on the ground in laughter. Donatello kept going a few steps before stopping to seat himself near Michelangelo and Klunk, trying to catch his breath. "What's the joke, bro?" Michelangelo wanted to know.

Donatello shook his head, reining in his mirth. "Nothing, Mikey. We were just…." He sighed contentedly, looking up at his brother. "We were just enjoying the day." A skeptical noise came from Raphael. "Enjoying the day, huh?" Getting to her feet, April told him, "Oh, lighten up, Raph. You're too tense. You should take some time and relax… do what Donatello and I did." She giggled as she made her way over towards the fire, and Donatello snickered once more.

Sickened once again, Raphael asked, "Yeah? And what was that?" With a small smile and a shrug, April replied, "We took some time to realize the value in a single day." Turning to look at Leonardo, she asked, "Is there something wrong with that?" Surprised that April decided to consult him, Leonardo stayed quiet before answering, "No. Nothing at all." As she grinned at him, Leonardo wondered exactly what it was that she meant and what he seemed to have condoned.

"Hey, is that bluefish?" April asked as she moved towards Leonardo and nudged at the plate in his hands. "It smells like the fried bluefish my dad used to make. It's making me hungry." Even as Leonardo offered the food to her, Michelangelo said, "Give it to her, Leo. She hasn't eaten all day. These other four I'm workin' on should be big enough for all of us." Thanking Leonardo, April picked at the fish on the plate, heading towards the tent. "I'll go bring out some forks."

She was intercepted by Casey, who looked down at her concernedly. "Hey, you okay, Ape?" Rolling her eyes with another grin, April responded, "You _know_ I hate it when you call me that." She tiptoed and kissed him on the cheek, then pushed him away jokingly. "Jerk."

Surprised by the rare outward sign of affection, Casey took hold of her arm. "Hey. April. I mean it. I haven't seen you all day and you were sick last night. If it wasn't for the guys bustin' my chops about givin' ya some 'space'—whatever _that_ means—I woulda been out looking for ya and carried ya back here." Amused by Casey's concern, April told him, "I always _knew_ you were a Neanderthal." Holding up the plate as though to prove a point, she said, "Now let me eat, okay? We're not going to get to have much fun together if I'm light-headed for the rest of the trip."

As she disappeared into the tent, Casey turned around and raised an eyebrow at Donatello, absolutely confused. "Who is she and what'd you do with April?" Standing up, Raphael added an angry undertone to his own confusion by adding, "Yeah, with an emphasis on the second part of that question."

Donatello shrugged. "I don't know what you mean." Approaching him and desperate for an explanation, Casey exclaimed, "Donny, you saw her just now! She was just bein'… I dunno…." Leonardo offered, "Coy?" Casey nodded and carried on. "Right! Coy! She was just bein' coy! When has she _ever_ been coy before?" Crossing his arms over his chest, Raphael challenged, "Yeah, Donny. _Do_ tell."

Shrugging again, Donatello offered a crooked smile. "I don't get it. She comes back happy and I'm suddenly being interrogated?" Helping Michelangelo with the fish, he genially told Casey, "_You're_ the boyfriend; you should have her moods figured out." This seemed to take Casey aback, and Raphael angrily stepped closer to Donatello. "Listen, you twerp, what the hell do you think-?"

"Raph," Leonardo called warningly. Raphael turned sharply to Leonardo, pointing at him accusingly. "You stay outta this, Leo! I don't know where you come off playin' mediator-" He was once again interrupted, this time by Michelangelo. "Yo dude, chill out. April's in a good mood. Where's the drama?" His voice only getting louder as he stepped closer, Raphael yelled, "The _drama_, you little pinhead, is that I wanna know what that creep did to _get_ her in that good mood!"

Silence fell over the five of them. Donatello stared at Raphael, trying very hard to keep another blush from rising up and retain his relaxed expression. Raphael felt no remorse, even as he saw two of his brothers gaze at him somewhat reproachfully as Michelangelo and Casey looked at the three of them, completely bewildered. Donatello knew that happiness was fleeting, but did it always have to take off so quickly?

His discontent was momentarily suspended when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Grateful to have a reason to look away from Raphael's fiery eyes, Donatello turned to see Splinter standing just outside his tent, observing the suddenly silent group. Swiftly thinking that he had been better off dealing with his brother, Donatello hesitantly asked, "Is something wrong, Master Splinter?"

The others turned towards the aged teacher slowly walking towards them. "I would suggest that you keep your voices down," he remarked lightly. Stopping besides Leonardo, he explained, "It seems to be upsetting April. We would not want her to grow ill once again."

"Upset?" Casey moved away from Don and headed towards the tent. Seeing this, Raphael attempted to step in his way, calling, "Hey!" Leonardo grabbed him and pulled him away, allowing Casey to dart pass and slip into the tent. "Raph, let him check on her." Annoyed, Raphael wrenched himself away from Leonardo, elbowing him hard in the stomach. "What're you?" Raphael hissed. "A co-conspirator? How much longer you gonna keep 'im in the dark, huh?"

Michelangelo tried to ask what was going on, but Leonardo spoke up. "So your solution for a person sitting in the dark is to light him on fire? That makes a lot of sense, Raph. A whole lot of sense."

"You know, these metaphors of yours are gettin' on my nerves."

"Well, this _attitude_ of yours is starting to get on mine."

"What the hell took ya three hours, huh?" Raphael inquired with a shove to Leonardo, looking down at Donatello. "What, ya wanted to give 'em time to relish the afterglow or somethin'?" Donatello stood sharply, crying, "Raph!" Paying no attention to having been pushed away, Leonardo cried out, "Raph, that was way out of line!"

"My sons!" Though the tension didn't fade away, the turtles ceased their hectic bickering at the sound of their teacher's voice. In the new silence, Michelangelo and Klunk both blinked up at the entire scenario before looking at one another. "Well," Michelangelo concluded. "Whatever it is, it's _definitely_ not my fault this time."

The cat mewled in what seemed to be agreement.

* * *

"Yo April, you okay?"

April looked up from her food at the sound of Casey's voice. "Huh? Oh, yeah. Why wouldn't I be? You've only asked me that about twenty times." Approaching her and lowering his voice as he heard the strange arguing from the turtles start up again, he replied, "Splinter said that you were startin' to get… upset."

Going back to her food so she wouldn't have to look up at Casey, April softly answered, "Upset? Well… sure. It's always upsetting to hear your friends fighting. Don't you think?" Sitting on one of the duffel bags on the ground besides her, Casey gently put a hand on her shoulder. "Do you know what all the fuss is about? I don't get a lot of it, but it looks like Raph's pissed at Donny and think that Leo's takin' his side. Does it have to do with yesterday?"

April almost dropped the plate in her hand but quickly recovered it and hunched her shoulders, anxious about facing Casey and yet trying to keep her voice pleasant. "Yesterday? Oh! You must mean about tossing him in the lake! Yeah, probably. You know how Raphael gets." She laughed nervously and slowly began to tense as Casey remained quiet before finally answering, "Yeah, I know."

"Hey, April?" She gradually turned to face him, trying not to be alarmed by his uncharacteristically soft and pleading voice. "Yes?" His face showed that he seemed to be thinking hard about something, and April turned completely towards him. If Casey Jones was taking time out to _think_ before saying something, then he was definitely about to broach a topic that she didn't want to talk about. "Casey?"

"April… I've been thinkin'… I mean… I know we promised not to talk about the question until you were ready…." April shifted uncomfortably, and Casey spoke faster, as though trying to keep her in place with his words. "But listen. I've had a lot of time to think today. And Donny just brought up an interesting point-"

"Donatello?"

"Yeah."

Aghast that Donatello might have said something during his loud argument with Raphael that would have ruined everything, April asked, "What did Donatello say?" His confusion returning at the sound of April's worried query, Casey replied, "Well… I asked him why you seemed to be in such a good mood." At this, April slowly turned away, trying to keep her breathing slow and regular as she listened to him. "And he told me, '_You're_ the boyfriend. _You_ should have her moods figured out.'" April closed her eyes and thinly muttered. "Ugh… Donny."

"But that got me to thinkin'… he's right. I _should_ know by now what makes you happy… and I _should_ know why you weren't feelin' well last night, and why you need so much time after the proposal to think. The fact is, though,… I _don't_." Not quite understanding where he was going with this, April peered up at him. "Casey…."

"What's your favorite color, April?" She blinked up at him, perplexed. "Favorite… color? Casey, what does-?" He spoke over her, stating, "I think it's purple. Is it purple?" Worried that he may be insinuating something about Donatello, April quickly shook her head. "N- no. It's red. But Casey-"

"See what I mean?" Casey asked, standing up and turning away from her. "Somethin' like that, somethin' that most people who just know each other through chatrooms 'n stuff know about each other, I don't know about you. And I know it's stupid, 'n I know it's pointless, 'n I know you're probably sitting there thinking, 'Good God, does this _idiot_ really expect me to marry him if he's hung up on such a worthless piece of information?' But it's not just that. Donny knows you better than I do. Donny knows you the way I _want_ to know you."

"I…" April began, still uneasy about what Casey might have gleaned from Raphael's outbursts. "I'm sorry, Casey. I… I didn't mean-" Casey turned sharply to her. Both of them appeared equally distressed, though Casey also seemed to wonder as to the cause of April's distress. "Why are _you_ sorry? _I'm_ the one who should be sorry. I don't ask questions. The only reason I even know that _Rio Gato_'s one 'a your favorite flicks is 'cuz I happened to pick it out for a movie night with the guys."

He stepped towards her and knelt before her, placing his hands on her shoulders and looking her in the eye. "Ya see, April? We're doin' it all backwards. All that deep stuff that couples keep leading up to, that 'connection' that everyone looks for… we _got_ it. And it's good. And it's why I love you. But… the simple stuff… we missed that somewhere along the way. And it may not be much and it might not change things in the end… but I _want_ that, too."

Surprised by the genuine emotion coming from someone who was generally so callous and oblivious, April couldn't summon any words for a long time. Finally, she quietly asked, "Casey… what are you saying?"

Sitting back on his heels and dropping his hands to take both of hers, Casey seemed to search for a way to phrase his words before speaking. "I'm sayin'… maybe I jumped the gun when I asked ya to marry me. I love you, I _know_ my feelin's, but the fact that you still seem mixed up about it… maybe it means that you _need_ the little stuff that I want. And if we're engaged and calling each other 'fiancé' and all 'a that… we can't concentrate on the little stuff. You see what I'm sayin'?"

April was shocked at the sincerity and thought in Casey's words. After wondering where all of this stemmed from, she finally concluded, "You've been talking to Splinter, haven't you?" With a good-natured laugh breaking through his solemnity, Casey answered, "Well, he's not called the master for nuthin'."

Bringing April's hands closer to him, Casey returned to his earnestness as he said, "Seriously… I've been worried about rushing things for a bit. We went from just havin' mutual friends to bein' in life-and-death situations real quick. So… I guess… can we just pretend this past week never happened? That we're still just two people who care about each other and go on dates and stuff… but keep the question in the back of our minds? Just to… y'know… feel one another out before divin' in headfirst?"

April stared at him for a moment before allowing a small half-smile to surface. "So," she began wryly, "you actually want to take things slow so we could think about things before possibly making a mistake? If I didn't know better, I'd say you were growing up."

Casey laughed quietly and shrugged. "Hey, if there was ever a time to grow up, it's when you meet someone that you can see yourself spendin' the rest of your life with." Pulling himself closer to her, he asked, "So, how about it? I don't wanna rush you. I don't wanna make you feel like you need to give me an answer, _any_ answer, before some imaginary deadline. You get unlimited time to think it over with no pressure, and you can be the modern chick you wanna be and propose to _me_ when you're ready."

Admiring Casey's maturity, April wondered, "And what do _you_ get out of the deal, hm?" Casey grinned and ran a hand cockily through his hair. "Well, I don't wanna disappoint the rest 'a the female population, so I guess it gives me extra time to play the field." Surprised by his sudden lapse into his old self, April pushed him away, laughing, "You _animal_!"

As they both laughed, April had a sudden thought. "Wait," she brought up. "If _you_ can play the field, then that means that I'm allowed to, too, right?" Casey's cheerful expression melted away at her words. "You? …uh… who would you… I mean…." Teasingly, she replied, "We-ell, Donatello _is_ kinda cute."

Casey furrowed his eyebrows for a moment before throwing his head back in laughter. "Oh sure," he remarked sarcastically. "I guess if _I'm_ allowed to, then we gotta have equal rights." April giggled at Casey's response as he embraced her. "Do me a favor," he requested jokingly. "Ask Donny if he's got a hot sister he's been hidin'." With another laugh, April managed to shoot an amused look at him just before he kissed her.

Somehow, things seemed to have turned out all right.

* * *

"Want some fish?"

Raphael peered angrily up at the offered food from Michelangelo. "If that _bastard_ helped make it, then I'd rather starve." Plopping himself down across from his angry brother, Michelangelo commented, "Leo _thought_ you might say that. So he made sure I'd tell ya that _I_ made this one. Personally, I think that's a good thing." Whispering as though telling an important secret, he explained, "Donny might be a wiz at computers, but he's seriously lacking in the culinary department."

Looking away from Michelangelo and crossing his arms over his chest, Raphael bitterly told him, "Mikey, why don't you go take a long walk off a short dock or somethin'?" Spotting a small mass of bright orange coming to peer at him, Raphael pushed Klunk away. "And your little cat, too!"

"Hey!" Michelangelo exclaimed sharply. "Say what you want about me, but _no one_ messes with my pets, got that, dude?" Feeling something hot suddenly drop on his lap, Raphael looked down to see that Michelangelo had tossed the plate onto his lap as he went to comfort his cat. "Watch where ya throw that thing," he warned, hitting Michelangelo in the back of the head, "will ya?"

"Yow!" Michelangelo rubbed the point of impact and looked back up at Raphael disdainfully, collecting Klunk in his arms and sitting back up. "Listen, bro, I might not know what's getting ya all riled up, but I know that it's probably nothin' that you should be getting ticked off about."

"Yeah?" Raphael challenged. "And how would an Einstein like you happen to know that?" Standing, Michelangelo responded, "Because you don't have anything to be ticked off about! Look around, Raph. You've got food in your lap and family and friends around you all the time. I don't get why you close yourself off from us all the time and then snap at us when you finally decide to come back to Earth."

"Food?" Raphael asked incredulously. "Family? Friends? You think that's all ya need to be happy?" Before he could continue with what would surely be a rant, Michelangelo loudly said, "Yeah, that's what I think, Raph. Why do you think I'm always happy? No, I don't got a penthouse or a corner office or anythin' that humans might think make them happy, but I know what happiness is. It's something that can't be taken away unless you let it. Maybe if you pay attention to anything Master Splinter says, you'd _get_ that."

Raphael watched, dumbfounded, as Michelangelo turned away and walked back towards Donatello, Leonardo, and Splinter. "Yeah," he sputtered, trying to get the last word in. "Well… well since when did _you_ become Leo Junior, huh? When-?" He was interrupted suddenly as the wind was knocked out of him by a sharp impact to his abdomen. "Oof! Wha-?"

"Hey Raph," Casey called from the entrance of the tent. "Up for a game 'a football?" After looking down at the football that had been thrown at him, Raphael glared up at Casey, "Wanna run that by me again, bonehead?" April emerged from inside, her arms crossed over her chest and a dry smile on her face. "Football. You know, the game that requires a foot, a ball, and an IQ of about 45."

"Hardy-har-har," Michelangelo said, letting Klunk jump out of his arms as he turned to look at the pair. "Just for that, little lady, ya can't be on my team." Casey laughed, "How about it, Raph? You, me, and Mikey against Ape, Donny, and Leo. Help us get rid of some 'a the tension from yesterday."

"I'm game," Leonardo said, finishing his portion of the meal.

"What of the incoming rain?" Splinter asked.

Looking to the sky, Donatello answered, "We should be safe for another twenty minutes, I would think."

All of them turned to look at Raphael. With a low growl, he submitted to the pressure and rose to his feet, saying, "Fine, fine. But if Donny touches me, he goes down. And Leo better not come near me, either." Brushing the grass off of his legs and watching as Klunk began partaking in the ignored food that he had set aside, he continued, "One more act of stupidity from either of you and I'm bound to go postal."

He hardly finished the statement when he noticed someone running for him. Looking up, he just caught on as April collided with him, tackling him to a roll across the ground until they finally landed on his shell. With a chuckle, she mentioned, "You never said anything about _me_, did you?"

Raphael let out a loud, frustrated yell, and April quickly leapt to her feet and made a run for it. Raphael tried to chase after her, but Casey got in his way. Laughingly, he and Michelangelo attempted to keep Raphael back as April ran towards the woods, snickering the whole time. "Let me at her! I'll rip her to pieces!" As a strange tackle war began to start, April heard Leonardo call, "Run, April! Hide out until we can drag him to the lake!" A loud yell from Raphael mixed with the good-natured laughter from everyone else as April disappeared into the trees.

After a while, April couldn't keep going much longer and slowed to a stop against a tree, attempting to catch her breath while still laughing. She knew that Raphael would probably kill her if she attempted to go back to camp so soon, and so merely stood there, thinking about the past two days. She realized, then, that if she was to forget about the previous week based on Casey's request, then that must mean that everything that had happened was also erased from the slate. Hearing someone approach behind her, April realized that this meant that she needed to make more memories.

"You're a dead woman, Miss O'Neil," Donatello said admiringly. Turning around and facing him, April grinned and responded, "Yeah. I know." Without warning, she ran to him and threw her arms around him, holding him tightly and laughing giddily. Unsure of what else to do, Donatello hugged her back, trying not to get his hopes up. He knew that whatever she and Casey had spoken about while alone in the tent could _not_ have ended well for him if Casey had been so lighthearted. He was only all the more surprised when she suddenly kissed him.

Pulling back for fear of having one of the others suddenly stumble upon them so near to the campsite, Donatello murmured, "April… we… we can't-" With a knowing smile, April put a finger to his mouth to silence him. "Donny, it's okay," she told him. "I'm allowed."

"Allowed?"

"Uh-huh." She kissed him lightly, amused by his confused expression. "By the way," she asked lowly. "You haven't got a sister, have you?" Even more bewildered at the seemingly random question, Donatello asked, "S-sister? Well, we've been known to dress Mikey up as a girl when we need to, but otherwise, no." April laughed again. "Mikey," she mused. "That might work."

"April, what is-" Donatello managed before he was hushed once again. "If you _must_ have an explanation," she told him, "I _might_ be coerced into offering one… say, during a date at some point next week?" Stunned, Donatello asked, "Date? April, what are you doing?" She shrugged cheerfully, replying, "Just playing the field. So, are you game, or would you rather be stuck without knowing the answer for the rest of your life?"

Donatello looked at her, at a complete loss. Wondering what could have possibly happened during her conversation with Casey that may have led her to believe that this sort of behavior was "allowed" and wondering what Michelangelo dressed up as a girl had to do with anything, he cocked his head at her, trying to decipher an answer just by looking at her face. The longer he looked at her, however, the more he remembered why he found her so beautiful, making it more and more difficult for him to think about Casey at all. Somehow, the twinge of guilt he had always had seemed much lighter now. As a small, cold drop of rain fell on his shoulder, Donatello wondered if maybe April was right. Maybe they _were_ allowed. After all… shouldn't everyone be allowed to feel… complete?

"Fine," he answered with a small smile. "It's a date."


End file.
